Winter
by Sock Ninja
Summary: Young Ivan Braginski grew up in a damaged village, and it reflects on him when he makes friends with Ravis Galante. Rated T for gore. (I apologize in advance to any Latvia fans!)


**A/N: Another English assignment! XP**

**This one has a random moose (who stars in another one of my fanfictions~), which may not make any sense, but I don't care!**

**~Random story is random~**

A little boy raced around the snow-covered village; the pale scarf that his sister had made for him flapping about behind him as he ran. The soft snow crunched under his boots, and the black soot that coated the surface of the beautiful frozen fluff was kicked away by his enthusiastic feet. He passed by the crumbling houses around him without a second glance, too caught up in his own little world to care. Instead of the weeping of wives and the sizzle of dying fires as men threw water and snow onto them, all the boy heard was the crisp wind whistling through his ashy-blonde hair and the imaginary rumble of a plane engine.

Because, with the world decaying slowly around him, this boy had somehow always found a way to stay cheery. He leaped over a burnt log, which at one point been the support of a house, and thrust his arms out straight like wings as he soared momentarily through the air. He landed on the snow again, making it fly upwards in flurries, then continued running. He could hear another set of footsteps behind him, and the boy knew that his sister had come to get him after all.

"Ivan!" The older girl's voice called, and at first the boy didn't pay any attention to his sister. However, as she began to catch up to him, Ivan slowed and turned to look at his sister.

She came to a halt, shoulder-length ashy-blonde hair framing her flushed face, and Ivan wondered for a moment why she was chasing him. He had completely forgotten, however, about the village around him, and his blue eyes took in his surroundings for what seemed like the first time. The short buildings had crumbled to the ground, and some charred wood still stood where the thickest of supports had been.

"Ivan!" His sister's voice brought him back to reality, and he looked up at her again. "I told you not to run off like that! I need to know where you are, especially at a time like this!"

Ivan rolled his eyes inwardly. He knew all this already. Every day, it was always the same. His sister would tell him off for running away, when really he hadn't gone very far.

"But Katyusha," Ivan said quietly, almost a mumble, as he looked down at his hands. The crisp breeze that constantly swept by swished the ragged clothing that the young boy wore, and chilled his face. "I wasn't going very far. I just wanted to play."

The older girl sighed. "Ivan, how many times do I have to tell you to stay near to me?"

The question itself was rhetorical, as both of them already knew the answer, but Ivan replied anyway.

"As many times as I run away, and once more so that I don't any more."

Katyusha smiled, and stepped close to her brother, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and leading Ivan back to their home.

The walk was short and silent, like the summer nights, and Ivan stared at his feet the entire time. He let Katyusha lead him back to their house, which had somehow escaped the fire, and he immediately bumped into someone's knee. He looked up, tilting his head back so he could see the person's face, and saw his father frowning down at him.

"I thought you two were supposed to be out for only a little while," The man growled, glaring down at the siblings.

Katyusha stepped forward, not wanting her brother to get the blame, even though it was his fault, and began to spin a tale that would excuse both of them from trouble. When she was done speaking, there was a silence, broken only by the whistling of the wind outside.

"Fine then," Their father grumbled. "But don't expect anything like this to happen again. You will be back home when I expect you to be, otherwise there will be consequences."

Katyusha nodded, and shuffled away, bringing Ivan with her. The young boy followed his sister without another word; following her to their room as her silent shadow.

.oOo.

Ivan looked out through the frost-covered window. He had been standing at the windowsill for quite a while now, standing up as tall as he could and peeking out to the world. He had been told to stay inside the house, like always, but something told him to go out. He wanted to explore the dark forest. The needled trees had been around the village for long since before Ivan had been born, but the young boy had never gone into their depths. He looked around, and when he saw that no-one was paying any attention to him, he slipped on his boots and ragged coat. His blue gaze swept around the room once more, then he opened the old door slowly so that it wouldn't creak, and raced out of the house, letting the wind close the door behind him.

Ivan raced through the village, which was still mostly stained from the fire that had swept through. He didn't know how the fire had come, nor did he care. He saw the forest getting closer and closer as he ran, and before he knew it he was among the dark trees. He came to a halt, and leaned against one of the rough trunks. The boughs bent downwards, brushing Ivan's ashy-blonde hair, and the boy's clouds of breath dissipated before they reached the needles.

The young boy had caught his breath, and he began walking through the forest, slightly calmer now. The snow crunched beneath his feet, but it was different here than it was in the village. Here the sound seemed to echo through the forest. Ivan thought that he'd been walking forever, when he heard another set of footsteps. He stopped, for he thought that his sister had come for him, and listened as the footsteps came closer.

This is where I come in. I walked up behind the boy, knowing his intentions. I also knew that he wouldn't be afraid of me. Well, no-one really was. I am a moose, after all. But I'm the Narrator, so when people ignore me it really stings. This boy, Ivan, I knew what I was going to do with him. Don't think me of mean, but this is just how I work. This is my life, following people around and writing about them. It's interesting, especially in a case like this, where I can interfere as much as I want. Ivan won't know that I'm working in his mind, though, not even at the very end. They never do.

So now, as I waltz through the Russian forest where Ivan had gone, I glance at him nonchalantly before continuing on. He'd find something interesting in his path soon enough.

Ivan watched as a moose walked by, and as the large creature looked at him, he felt a shiver run down his spine. He watched it, until the moose had disappeared among the dark trees again, before the boy walked on. He'd never seen a moose before, and he didn't know what it was. Ivan's mind began wandering, letting his imagination run free for a while, and he didn't notice as the forest began to clear, getting less dense. It was only when his booted feet touched the dark stone of a bridge that Ivan realized that he'd walked for a long time, and had left the forest completely.

He blinked, and looked behind him. The dark trees were only a few yards away, and Ivan wondered if he should turn back.

A dog barked, and Ivan turned to look across the bridge again. He saw someone about his age staring back at him. Next to the other boy, a large dog stood barking, wide face contorted in a growl. Ivan smiled, however, and looked to the other boy happily.

"G-good day," He said. He shivered slightly, as the wind that blew by swept around him and sidled through the holes in his cloak.

The boy on the bridge stood silent for a moment, the dog continuing to bark, before he responded.

"Yo-you're?" The boy asked, and unlike Ivan's reason for stuttering, this boy didn't talk straight because he was nervous.

"I'm Ivan," The Russian replied. "Who are you?"

"I am Ravis," The boy on the bridge said. There was a silence between the two, and the dog continued hurling verbal attacks at Ivan.

"I like your puppy," Ivan said. "He's very cute!"

Ravis smiled, and crouched next to the barking creature. "Oh, I'm sorry. He's usually such a nice and quiet dog."

Ravis had quietened the dog, and Ivan took a step forward.

"Would you like to become my friend?" Ivan asked, still smiling. He was unaware of the glare that Ravis' dog was sending him.

Ravis hesitated. It was such a sudden question, and so straightforward at that, that the young Latvian had no idea how to reply.

"Uh...sure?"

Ivan nodded, then turned. "Come on, I'll show you my village!" He said.

Ravis took a step forward, then hesitated. "I don't think I should," He said nervously. "My parents told me not to go past this bridge. They said that I'd be crossing the border if I did, and I wouldn't be able to come back home."

Ivan blinked. "Really?" He asked. He turned to face Ravis again. "Well then, I can come back tomorrow, and meet you here."

Ravis took a moment to think about it, then nodded. "Okay," He said. He looked over his shoulder. "I have to be going now."

Ivan nodded. "Okay. I'll see you later, then!" He said, turning and running away again.

Ravis watched the Russian boy leave, then petted his dog.

"There there, boy," He soothed. "It's alright."

.oOo.

Ivan walked through the forest, on his way to meet Ravis again. They'd been meeting up for a long time now, and were, as Ivan liked to say, 'buddy-buddies'.

He hadn't noticed me all this time, and I'd always been watching him. I had watched as the young boy came to meet Ravis at the bridge every day, and had watched as life in Ivan's village had gotten worse and worse. At first, I hadn't seen any change in how the young boy acted, but over time I saw the hardship begin to wear away at his heart. For the first time in Ivan's life, I had made him feel sad, I had made him feel anger, and I had made him bend. He hadn't quite broken yet, but everything that will bend will surely break.

As the boy walked through the forest now, boots crunching on the snow, I smiled. I was hidden from his sight by the dark trees, and as far as Ivan was concerned, I didn't exist.

Ivan's pale cloak swished about in the cold wind, the holes that had been worn into the fabric over time catching on the tree branches. He tugged himself free, frowning, then continued onwards again. Soon enough, he saw the bridge where Ravis would be.

However, when Ivan's boots touched the frost-covered stone of the bridge, Ravis was nowhere to be seen. The young boy's blue gaze swept around, but he didn't see any sign of the Latvian. He sat down on the small stone wall that sided the bridge, and swung his feet around so that he could see the half-frozen river. Ivan watched as the dark water flowed by under the thin ice, humming faintly to himself, and he didn't know how much time had passed when he heard footsteps in the snow.

Ivan looked up, thinking that Ravis had come, but when he looked to the far side of the bridge he saw no-one.

"Ivan! Ivan! What are you doing here?" Ivan heard his sister's voice, and as he turned to look in the direction of his village he saw Katyusha running towards him. He sighed, and began trudging towards his older sister.

He stared at the ground as Katyusha began scolding him and didn't grumble as the girl grabbed his arm and led him back to the village.

Ivan didn't say anything, and didn't respond to the questioning glance from his sister as he kicked off his boots and tossed his ragged coat on the floor. He ran away to the small room that he shared with his sister, and began staring out the window.

He stayed there for a long time, and the sun began dipping lower to the horizon. The snow around the village was no longer covered in soot, but was almost two feet deep and the other villagers were struggling through it. Ivan sighed, wondering what his Latvian friend was doing right now, or what Ravis' life was like.

A crash sounded from outside of Ivan's room, but still inside the little house. The young boy started, and looked over his shoulder at the door. He could now hear shouting, and wondered what was going on. Ivan stepped away from the windowsill and opened the door. The sound of shouts had been faintly muffled before, but now they were louder.

The boy's blue eyes widened as he saw a broken pot on the floor, and his father and mother yelling at each other. For what reason, Ivan didn't know. This had been going on for at least a fortnight now, however, and he was beginning to fear these times. When the yelling came along, bad things happened.

Katyusha was standing at the edge of the room, holding her face in her hands and shaking. Ivan wondered what was wrong with his sister, when his mother stamped her foot on the ground.

"I told you that you can't keep doing this!" She yelled. "You keep going out and when you come back you're always angry at us for no reason! And now Katyusha's hurt!"

Ivan's father continued to glare at his wife. "How is it my fault? She was the one who always is letting Ivan go off into the woods every day!" He replied, just as loud if not louder. He paused, as if thinking, but before Ivan's mother could say anything, he shouted again. "Actually, it's the fault of both of you! I go and work for the three of you, and when I come back my son is missing and nobody knows where he's been!"

Ivan almost felt a flash of guilt, but before it could reach his heart he began wondering if he was the cause of all the arguments.

"You know what?" Ivan's mother shrieked, grabbing Katyusha's arm. "We're leaving! I've had enough of this!" She went to the door in a huff, and grabbed her coat. Putting it on quickly and putting Katyusha's on for her, Ivan's mother left the house. The door slammed shut behind her, but not before Ivan could see the large red outline of a hand on his sister's face and small drips of blood coming from her nose.

Ivan's father turned to glare at his son, but the Russian stood still, unafraid by the events around him. The boy yawned, and blinked.

"Goodnight, father," Ivan said, then turned and shuffled back to the room he had previously shared with his sister. He threw himself down on his bed, and for a moment he just stared at the ceiling. "Goodnight mother, goodnight Katyusha," He murmured, then fell asleep.

.oOo.

A week had gone by, and Ivan hadn't gone to meet Ravis in the time between when his sister had been taken away and now. The young boy drummed his fingertips on the windowsill, gazing out into the darkness of the forest. He wanted to go out and meet Ravis, but at the same time he knew that he had to stay in the house. If it was his going out to the forest that got his sister taken away, then maybe if he stayed in the house then they would come back.

However, today he felt the need to go out into the forest to meet with Ravis. Ivan glanced over his shoulder, and saw that his father had fallen asleep in a chair, a faucet pipe in one hand. Ivan stepped away from the windowsill, and silently began to get his ragged cloak on. This was the ideal time to go meet his friend.

Just as Ivan was reaching for the doorknob, however, he looked back at his father in the chair. The Russian's status had not changed, and he still held the faucet pipe loosely in one hand. Ivan blinked, remembering how the night before his father had hit a stray dog with the pipe. The boy shuffled quietly towards the snoring man, and gently removed the faucet from his grasp. Ivan wasn't going to allow the metal to hurt anyone else.

Ivan then turned and quickly left the house, gently closing the door behind him. He raced through the village, heading to the dark forest that stood between him and his friend. He finally came to the stone bridge, and smiled when he saw his friend there waiting for him. Ivan slowed and came up to Ravis, waving his hand in greeting.

Ravis raised his hand in a similar gesture, but his expression seemed troubled. Ivan walked up to the Latvian regardless of this fact, however.

"Hi!" Ivan said cheerfully.

Ravis tried a smile, but then it disappeared and he didn't meet his friend's gaze. "H-hi," The young boy replied nervously. "Iv-"

But he was cut off as Ivan spoke. "So what do you want to do today?" He looked past Ravis, towards the snow-covered trail on the other side of the bridge. "Can we go explore your side of the river?"

Again Ravis tried to speak. "Iva-"

And again he was interrupted. "Or!" Ivan exclaimed, rushing to the side of the bridge and looking over. "We could go down to the river and explore down there!"

"_IVAN!_"

The Russian turned, a slightly shocked expression on his young face, and tilted his head to one side at his friend.

"What is it, Ravis?"

The Latvian had risen his gaze to look at Ivan, but as the boy turned he looked away again.

"I-I can't be your friend anymore," Ravis said. "My parents say I'm not allowed to meet you again."

Ivan frowned. "What? Why not?" He asked, obviously angered at the statement.

"B-because," Ravis scuffled his feet on the snow-covered ground as he spoke. "They just said I can't." He turned halfway, so only half of his face could be seen by Ivan. "So I guess I have to go now."

Ravis began to walk away, and Ivan felt his anger grow. It was strange, as he had never felt something like this in his entire life, and suddenly it was like a beast had engulfed him. Ravis was almost at the end of the bridge, when Ivan chased after him.

Ravis must've heard Ivan's hurried footsteps crunching on the snow, because he turned around as the Russian boy came flying at him. Ravis' large blue eyes widened as Ivan leaped at him, and his hands immediately flew up to try and protect himself. Ivan's face was contorted as he raised his arms above his head and prepared to strike his friend. There was a murderous gleam in Ivan's purple-blue eyes, and it was clear that he didn't know what he was doing.

Ivan didn't hear his friend cry out as a hard cylindrical object made contact with his upheld arms, and Ivan continued again and again to hit at the Latvian, outrage clouding his judgement and blocking his senses. He had battled for so long inside to keep the world at arm's length, so that he would never feel the pain of those around him, and now the tension that came from doing so was being let out. Ivan didn't know right from wrong, all he knew was that Ravis had angered him, and that he was going to pay.

Ravis' arms gave out with a crack which Ivan didn't hear, the boy fell to the ground in a motion Ivan didn't register, and the red that began to stain his jacket wasn't seen by the young Russian. Ravis curled up into a ball, pain wracking his body, as his friend continued to beat him. The boy attempted to let out one last cry for help, when a hard cold object slammed into his skull. There was no time for Ravis to contemplate what had happened before he was dead.

Ivan continued to strike the Latvian, unaware of any change. Finally, his arms became tired, and he fell to the ground as well. He glared at his friend, and as his anger diminished he began to notice things that he hadn't before. The first was that there was a sticky red liquid trickling from the corner of Ravis' mouth. The second was the odd indent in Ravis' head, long and deep. The third was the frost beginning to form around Ravis' young face, framing his eyes and lips with small blue crystals. The fourth and final thing that Ivan noticed was something he saw lying in his now relaxed hand, a long cold metal faucet pipe.

Ivan lifted the pipe up, and at first was captured by the way that some red liquid hung to it, frost glittering on it in an almost magical way. The young Russian stood up, and began to walk back along the bridge. He glanced back, and saw that Ravis was still on the ground.

"Don't sleep outside! You'll get sick!" Ivan called, his childish innocence restored. He raised the hand that wasn't holding the pipe up and waved. "See you tomorrow, Ravis!"

Then Ivan raced into the dark forest, heading to his village, and along the way he continued to stare at the amazing beauty of the faucet pipe.

**~Fin~**


End file.
